Previewing the Northeastern Huskies

Tomorrow night, Boston College will faceoff against long time Hockey East foe, Northeastern, to open conference play. NU comes to Conte for a special 8 PM game on national TV tomorrow night while the Eagles will go to Matthews on Saturday night. So far, the Huskies are 5-1 on the season with wins vs Alabama-Huntsville (x2), Holy Cross (x2), and St Lawrence. They also lost to St Lawrence last Saturday. Leading the Huskies up front are sophomore Kevin Roy, last seasons Beanpot MVP, and freshman Michael Szmatula, a highly touted recruit out of Dubuque. They have 12 and 11 points, respectively, this season. Not unlike BC, the Huskies will rely on scoring from freshmen such as Szmatula, Zach Anston-Reese, John Stevens, and Dalen Hedges.

On defense, NU is just OK. They have some talented guys like Saucermann and Manson but both of those guys were exposed in three of the four meetings between NU and BC last season. They are only allowing 2.50 goals per game this season but lets be honest, we aren't Holy Cross or Alabama-Huntsville. Tomorrow is their first real game of the season. Welcome to the big leagues. Sure, their defense is a bit thin and inexperienced but it is nothing compared to the situation between the pipes. Madigan has been rotating between sophomore Derrick Roy and  senior Clay Witt, neither of which have faced off against BC in their careers.

As for BC, I want to see a continuation of the things they built up last week. Now, you might ask what the heck I mean because we got blown out of the water on Sunday. Like I said, it was a tough loss but I thought a lot of guys played some really good hockey. I don't have the full chart yet but expect there to be some pretty drastic changes in the lineup. I'm also not 100 % on the goalie but I would assume Demko.

Look, this is a big weekend. I respect the heck out of Northeastern but it's the first relatively light portion of the schedule so far. Basically, if BC plays fast, smart, and disciplined, they should get four points. If they don't, anything can happen.

Scouting NU- 

USCHO Rank- 20

Record- 5-1

Leading Scorers- Kevin Roy (12 points), Mike Szmatula (11 points), Braden Pimm (9 points)

Notes- 

1. Boston College is 158-47-14 all time vs Northeastern, they're 46-17-5 under Coach York, and 11-3 since 2010 vs NU. All losses have come @ Matthews Arena.

2. NU has the 20th ranked defense in college hockey along with the being the top scoring unit in the country (tied with Providence).

3. NU senior and former BC commit, Cody Ferriero, is OUT for this weekends games due to a suspension for slashing last weekend vs St. Lawrence

Keys for the Eagles- 

1. Contain Roy. Many would say it's impossible but Matheson and Santini (or McCoshen) should be out there EVERY TIME he touches the ice. Under no circumstances should Roy's line touch the ice without one of BC's top defensive units out there.

2. Test this goaltender (whomever it may be). Whether it's Derrick Roy or Clay Witt, BC has to pepper the net with shots. These guys aren't Adam Wilcox. They won't save everything they see. Shots will lead to rebound which will lead to goals.

3. We need to get things going early. Besides the Wisconsin game, each first period this year has been horrible. You can't allow Northeastern to come in here and score the first goal tomorrow night. Get the crowd into it by scoring early.

4. Get something on the power play. To put it nicely, the power play has been in shambles the past two games. Too much passing, trying to make the perfect play. It's a simple formula....get the puck to #13 and get open. No need to try anything else.


Lineup- 

Will be posted either late tonight or tomorrow.

GO EAGLES !

Hot Start Leads Golden Gophers Over Eagles

Photo from Minnesota Athletics

The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers took the series finale between them and the Boston College Eagles on Sunday afternoon by way of a 6-1 drubbing of the young Eagles. If you wern't watching and just glanced at the score, you'd immediately think that UM dominated the Eagles in every way. Not the case, actually BC played pretty well for most of the game but they had three or four really bad defensive breakdowns that allowed for some easy Gopher goals. Look, I sat on a plane last December wondering if the Eagles were ever going to recover from that 8-1 drubbing. I leave Minneapolis with a totally different feeling this time around. BC played toe to toe with the best team in college hockey, on a big sheet, in one of the toughest environments in college hockey. Sure, losing 6-1 stinks but as Coach York said after the game, it's about the process of getting better right now, not necessarily the results. We want this team to be in a position to win trophies come February. There is a reason the staff schedules games versus four of the best teams in college hockey right off the bat. Guys gain valuable experience from these types of trips. BC's play in that game does not reflect the effort the team showed today. Last year, there effort wasn't good enough, today the Gophers just executed better than we did. 

The negatives are obvious. First of all, the power play was all over the place. It was not good. At all. I thought Minnesota did a great job of putting sticks in lanes within 5 or 6 feet from the net, an area where BC likes to try those one time passes. Since they clogged it up down low, it gave BC's defensemen a lot of time at the point and they actually got some nice shots through and created some juicy rebounds but Gopher goalie Adam Wilcox was absolutely sensational. It's the best I've seen a goalie play against us in a long time. Another adjustment that Don Lucia and his staff made was being physical with Johnny G. He wasn't a factor out there tonight because every time he had the puck, there was a white shirt ready to hit him off the puck and send it the other way. In order for him to be as good as he is, he needs space. He didn't get any today from the Gophers. I thought it was nice to see Evan Richardson score his first colligate goal as he replaced Chris Calnan on the second line. Not sure what the staff is going to do there but I would bet Calnan plays Friday night vs Northeastern. 

Look, when it's all said and done, thats a heck of a hockey team we just played. They are fast, physical, have a great goalie, and know how to execute on special teams. Right now, they're just a couple notches above the Eagles but I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if we see those guys again in April. 

Negatives- 

1. Power play needs serious work. BC had two chances to cut the Gopher lead in half on the power play but both times they came up with nothing. Sure, Wilcox made some great saves but guys have to find a way to put the puck in the net. 

2. Defensive breakdowns. A couple of them were real bad. Going to be lots of tape watching this week.....

Positives- 

1. BC generated a lot of quality scoring chances. Sometimes you just run into a hot goaltender. That happened tonight. 

2. The BRUTAL schedule gets a bit easier. Next four games- NU (x2), BU, and Army. 

Next Up- Friday vs Northeastern. 8 PM start time. 

Go Eagles. 

Updates

First of all, here is tomorrows lineup. Changes in maroon.

Johnny- Arnold- Gilmour

Fitzgerald-Hayes-Cangelosi

Smith-Brown-Richardson 

Straight-Sit-Silk


Santini-Savage

McCoshen-Matheson

Macleod-Linell

Billett

I was fortunate enough to speak with Coach Brown today after practice. Here is what he said.

Q- Thoughts on last nights game ?

A- It was a really exciting game. I thought both teams were fast and skilled and there was a terrific tempo throughout the whole night.

Q- How did you think the freshmen adjusted to the big sheet, the crowd, and the start of the game ?

A- I thought they adjusted real well. The first five, ten minutes they pinned us back pretty good but everyone got a little more comfortable and we were able to settle in.

Q- What are big adjustments that need to be made ?

A- Well, Richardson will play for Calnan and Billett will play tomorrow. We want to be tighter defensively and I'm sure they do as well but last night was a fun, exciting hockey game between two good teams.

Q- Thoughts on Demko ?

A- I thought he played very well. He was nervous in the beginning and then he really settled in and play well after that.

 Thanks to Coach Brown...Go Eagles.

Eagles "Defeat" Gophers in Shootout

When University of Minnesota forward Travis Boyd scored a tic-tac-toe power play goal that has become all to common against the BC penalty kill to make it 2-0 Gophers just four minutes into the game, I put my hands on my head and groaned "here we go again". Nope. Not tonight. Thanks to some unbelievable leadership from captain Patrick Brown and some magical play from Minnesota native Mike Sit, the Eagles rallied to score three goals in 1:11 in the first period and eventually "won" the game in a shootout. It goes in the books as a tie.

Let me start out by saying this, that was the best non BC-BU game I have ever been to. Mariucci Arena is the best college hockey atmosphere in the country and if you ask me, nothing is even close. Everyone, aged 5 to 80, is decked out in maroon and gold jerseys donning a giant "M" on it. I love Conte Forum and the other rinks around Hockey East but this plays blows them away. It's a special place to be in and I cannot wait to get back there on Sunday afternoon. As for the game itself, well, it was quiet apparent that Thatcher Demko was nervous as heck going in. The kid is my age, seventeen years old and he is playing goalie for the best program in college hockey on the road in one of the most hostile environments the sport has to offer. Yea, he struggled early but give him credit because he made some huge saves down the stretch. 

The pace of this game was something I don't think I have ever witnessed before. It was odd man rush after odd man rush and whether you're a fan of the big sheet or not, you'd be hard pressed to find anyone that didn't think that was some of the most exciting hockey they have ever seen. I thought BC's third and fourth lines held their own versus the Gophers' top units as the staff put the Sit, Straight, and Silk line out there numerous times vs Minnesota's big line of Condon, Kloos, and Cammarata. What a night for Mike Sit. Heck, what a season so far for Mike Sit. You have idiots like me writing about how Richardson should be on the fourth line and he goes out and scores two goals in front of his hometown team. How amazing is it that a kid scores zero goals in eighty plus games before going out in front of his childhood idols and shoving it right back in their face ? Truly an amazing story. 

Although he was -2 and only had one goal, Johnny G was spectacular tonight. If it wasn't for some unreal saves from Gopher goalie Adam Wilcox and a few unlucky pipes, "G" would have had three goals and BC would have won in regulation. He is just a cut above everyone else on the ice and the extra room on the big sheet certainly benefits him greatly. I thought all six of BC's defensemen held their own tonight, especially in the final two periods. It took them a while to adjust to the pace and rink dimensions but once they did, they did a great job of getting the puck to the forwards in space and joining rushes when they could. Steven Santini was a physical force in his own end tonight. He really looked good even when he was up against Warning and Rau. The steps that all six guys have made from Michigan to this point have been huge and in reality, that's what the staff wants to see at this point. 

95 % of the time, I'm disappointed  about tie and will usually go on a rampage about how bad the team played. I have to tell you, it's been a long time since I've been so proud walking out of the rink. That game was over. The Gophers were up 2-0 in front of their home crowd  against the youngest team in college hockey who just happened to be starting a 17 year old goalie. This team could have given up like the last time we were up here. But they didn't, they fought each and every shift and if they continue to do that, man we've got a heck of a club. 

Positives- 

1. The effort. It doesn't get any better than that. Each and every guy played with pride and determination tonight. 

2. Secondary scoring. Two goals from Sit and a game-winning shootout goal from Brown. I'd say our bottom two lines are coming along just fine. 

3. Steven Santini. Thought he was tremendous tonight. Not that I thought any defenseman was bad but I thought he played his best game of the year. +2 rating. 

Negatives- 

1. Nothing too concerning. Penalty kill needs work, so does power play. Not worried about Demko. He is a teenager and just won a shootout vs the top team in the country on the road. Let's get real. 

Player of the game- Mike Sit 

Next up- Gophers on Sunday.2 PM Eastern time 

Note- Make sure to look at Sports Center's top plays tomorrow morning. 

GO EAGLES 

Previewing the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers

For the third and fourth times in three years, the Boston College Eagles will face-off against Big Ten rival, Minnesota. This time it will be two games between the perennial powerhouses @ UM's Mariucci Arena. Here is something for you to think about. When BC traveled out to St.Paul last year for the Mariucci Classic, their starting defensive group vs the Gophers was Sullivan, Doherty, Wey, Matheson, Jeke, and Peter McMullen. Now, in no way is that an excuse for the embarrassing 8-1 to the Gophers but comparing that D core to this years is like comparing apples and oranges.

The Golden Gophers are ranked #1 in both the USCHO and USA Today polls as they are 4-0 on the year with wins over Mercyhurst, UNH, and Bemidji State (x2). Obviously, Minnesota is a good club. There are certain teams that are good almost every season. BC is one of them and so is Minnesota. They are a great example of how a college athletic program doesn't have to go all over the world to recruit top end talent. They have TWENTY kids from the North Star state. Yes, Minnesota is a young and talented bunch much like Boston College but let's get real here for a second. They lost the entirety of their top power play unit from a year ago, a group that ranked #1 in the country and utterly embarrassed BC's PK. Bjugstad, Haula, Budish, and Schmidt were all world class college hockey players. You don't just replace those guys.

In terms of numbers, the Gophers know how to put the puck in the net as they rank third in the country with 5.00 goals per game (BC is second with 5.67 goals per game). Another advantage BC has over the Gophers (surprisingly) is the amount of penalties taken. So far this season, Boston College has taken fifteen penalties while the Gophers have made twenty one trips to the sin bin. Unlike BC's previous opponent, Wisconsin, the Gophers are extremely strong in net. Sophomore Adam Wilcox is without a doubt one of the top netminders in the nation and currently has allowed just 1.50 goals per game this season. He was absolutely sensational against the Eagles last December.

Overall, I think BC matches up well against the Gophers. I will take BC's top two lines over any other combinations in the country, including Minnesota's top unit of Rau, Warning, and Fasching. If Johnny G, Gilmour, and Arnold can find a way to outplay these guys and make Warning a non-factor, I think BC has a great chance to win. The Gophers will have last change which could make in difficult to get these guys, along with Matheson and McCoshen, out there every shift when Rau and Warning are out but if they can do that, look for a big night from the Eagles. It's plain and simple. BC just needs to continue to stay out of the box, create odd man rushes, and avoid turnovers that will lead to high quality scoring chances for the Gophers.

Inside the Numbers- 

1. Minnesota leads the all time series 15-12-2. BC is 1-6-1 vs Minnesota @ Mariucci.

2. Coach York is 4-1-3 versus the Gophers.

3. The last meeting was won by.....we aren't going to talk about that.

4. Johnny G (2.33) and Sam Warning (2.25) rank 1st and 2nd in the NCAA in points per game.

Keys for the Eagles- 

1. No penalties. Minnesota always has a good power play....much like Michigan. We all know how that went.

2. Help Demko settle down early. I think it would pay huge dividends if BC was able to garner a one or two goal lead after the first period.

3. Score on the power play. I didn't like the way either unit looked versus Wisconsin. I think the larger sheet of ice will allow BC to move it around quicker and hopefully score some goals.

Projected lineup 

Johnny G- Arnold- Gilmour 

Fitzgerald- Hayes- Cangelosi 

Smith- Brown- Calnan 

Straight- Sit- Silk 

McCoshen- Matheson 

Santini- Savage 

Macleod- Linell 

Demko

GO  EAGLES !!!

A Big Week Ahead

It's all about revenge this week for the Eagles.

One of the hallmark's of Coach York's regime @ BC has been his famous "24 hour rule". Basically, don't get too down on a loss and don't get too high off a win. You have 24 hours to enjoy the victory or on the other hand, 24 hours to get over a tough loss. Well, it's been almost seventy two hours since the Eagles put a beat down on the #2 Wisconsin Badgers so all focus shifts to UW's arch rival, the new #1 team in the nation, the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers. Everyone remembers last year's 8-1 blowout loss to Minnesota in the final of the Mariucci Classic and let's get one thing clear, even though BC didn't have Alber or Johnny G, eight goals is eight goals. It's embarrassing any way you look at it. It doesn't happen around here. Ever.

This week has to be one of the best weeks of preparation all season. I expect that BC will be practicing on Olympic ice surfaces throughout the week in order to prepare for the large sheet @ Mariucci. Historically, BC has been pretty solid on the big sheet, I mean they have played UNH really well up at the Whit over the course of the last four or five years but for some reason, they looked like a bunch of chickens with their heads cut off on the big ice last season versus the Golden Gophers.

Lineup wise, I don't think you will see the staff change anything. I thought Linell and Macleod were better on Friday although they were the only two Eagles that were -1. Look, BC doesn't need those two to be at the offensive level of McCoshen, Santini, Matheson, and Savage but they do have to be strong in their own end. In the final analysis, the play of these two guys were leaps and bounds better than it was versus Michigan or even RPI. Adjusting to the big ice versus a real fast team like the Gophers is going to be a brutal test but if they continue to trend upwards, good things will happen.


The final thing that needs to be addressed is the goaltending situation. I thought Billett was solid on Friday as he made some nice initial saves but he continues to struggle a bit in the rebound category. Obviously, he will start a game this weekend thanks to his continued consistent play and if I had to bet, it would be on Sunday. If that happens, Thatcher Demko will be starting his first ever road game in one of the most hostile environments in college hockey. Look, he's going to have to play in these type of situations one day so why not just break him in now instead of waiting ? He played well against RPI and I'm sure the rest of the guys are extremely confident in his ability to stop the puck so hopefully he gets a chance to show the rest of the country what he is all about on Friday evening.

That's all I got.

GO EAGLES !

Message Sent



Johnny G scores the third BC goal. Photo by The Heights.

It's not every night when you walk out of a rink wondering if that's the best game you've seen your team play in the regular season in a long, long time. One fellow writer asked me that question midway through the game and I just kind of laughed at it. No way. Then I continued to think about it for the remainder of the game. Is it the best regular season BC game I have ever seen ? No. That is the 9-5 beat down of the Terriers in 2011 @ the Jack Parker Rink. But I gotta tell you, what took place @ Kelly Rink tonight was one special performance by a handful of really talented hockey players. The only way you're going to stop Johnny G is by having one of your defenseman take out some sort of weapon and physically go after the kid. I mean, some of the things he does on the ice are just out of this world. That pass he made to Kevin Hayes for the 5th BC goal ? I would argue that no other player in college hockey could make that play. O and by the way, he reached the one hundred point plateau tonight, getting his 101st and 102nd points in the process.

On the defensive side of things, I continue to be blown away by the play of all three freshmen. The best part about them is that they all offer different strengths to their game. Santini isn't particularly flashy and won't impress much in the offensive end but by the end of the year, he might have the best +/- out of any of the three. He was +4 tonight. McCoshen has been as good as advertised as he burned his home state team tonight with a +6 rating and two points. The guy I want to talk about for a second is Scotty Savage because in the two games he has played, he has been tremendous. In fact, he has been so good that the staff has him running the second power play unit with Danny Linell (who was also real solid tonight). Next week will be two brutal test for these guys, especially on the big sheet of ice, but if they continue to play like they have been, this team could go a long way.


Of course, guys like Johnny G, Kevin Hayes, Mike Matheson, and Austin Cangelosi will get all of the accolades from the papers and everyone else but I want to take a moment and point out something that happened to a guy tonight that has been a long time coming. Mike Sit scored his first career goal when he fired home a wrist shot on a 2-1. It was BC's seventh goal. For anyone that has followed this team closely over the course of the past three years, they would know that Sit has had some struggles in the offensive end and he probably should have more than his share of goals by now. Whether this is just the beginning of a nice run for him or not, it was a pretty cool sight to witness. Good for him.

All in all, I'm really thrilled about this game. The potential of this team is sky high and we have realized that the past two games. Coach York said after the game that he was impressed with all eighteen skaters in white tonight. When these guys play as one cohesive unit such as they have the past game and a half, they are the best team in college hockey.

Positives-

1. Everything.

Negatives-

1. Power play was 0-2. Sour grapes.

Player of the game- Austin Cangelosi/Johnny G

Next up- Weekend series @ Minnesota.

GO EAGLES !

Previewing the Wisconsin Badgers/ Goalie Update

The Eagles will host arguably the biggest non BU home game in recent memory tomorrow night as the high powered Wisconsin Badgers will make their first trip back to Chestnut Hill since Banner Night in 2009 when the Eagles defeated the Badgers by a 5-4 score. Wisconsin is 2-0 this season with a pair of victories over the Northern Michigan Wildcats. The Badgers are loaded up front with big names such as sophomore Nic Kerdiles, Mark Zengerle, Joe LaBate, and Michael Mersch. On defense, Wisconsin returns Jake McCabe, Frankie Simonelli, and Joe Faust. The one area where Wisconsin may be a little weak is in net as they rotated goalies all throughout last season. According to Andy Johnson of Bucky's Fifth Quarter, Landon Peterson is playing goalie tomorrow night for Wisconsin.

Obviously being the #2 team in the country, Wisconsin is going to pose a lot of problems for this young BC team. Like the Eagles, they're deep at both defense and offense and have a real good top two lines that will present some issues for Johnny G, Kevin Hayes, and the rest of BC's high powered offense. In the eighty plus college games he has played, there haven't been  many teams that have shut down Johnny G and hopefully the Badgers aren't the first to do so but their depth up front will make for an interesting matchup. I look for BC's second line of Kevin Hayes, Austin Cangelosi, and Ryan Fitzgerald to continue to play at a high level much like they did Sunday. If Wisconsin stacks up against the Johnny G line, look for that line to have a big night.

The big question for me is how will BC's defense hold up against a high octane offense like Wisconsin's ? If BC plays like they did over the final thirty minutes versus RPI in which they spent very little time in their own end, then I think they have a chance to win this game. If they take penalties and play on their heels for the whole game, they will be run out of the building. You can't take penalties and expect to beat good hockey teams. To be honest, BC was a little lucky to get away with that win last weekend. If they do that tomorrow, they have no shot. Let the big guns do their thing, play solid in your own end, and stay out of the box.

Scouting Wisconsin

Rank- #2 (2-0-0 record) both wins vs Northern Michigan.

Head Coach- Mike Eaves

Key players- Nic Kerdiles, Jake McCabe, Mark Zengerle, and Michael Mersch

All Time Series- BC leads 12-9

Last meeting- BC beat Wisconsin in the 2010 National Championship

Notes- Wisconsin returns 81 % of it's scoring from a season ago.


Keys for BC-

1. No stupid penalties.

2. No stupid penalties.

3. Get it going early and often. Also, no stupid penalties.


Projected Lineup-

Johnny G- Arnold- Gilmour

Fitzgerald- Hayes- Cangelosi

Smith- Brown- Calnan

Straight-Sit- Silk

Savage- Santini

Macleod- Linell

Matheson-McCoshen

Billett is playing.

Go Eagles !

Eagles Overcome Rough Start, Blowout RPI

Ryan Fitzgerald scores his first goal. Photo from New England Hockey Journal.

The Boston College Eagles picked up their first win of the season on Sunday afternoon, dominating the last forty minutes of play versus the RPI Engineers, en route to a 7-2 victory in front of 3,915 fans (yikes) @ Conte Forum. First of all, I thought the first twenty minutes were worse than any of the three previous periods versus Michigan. The Engineers dominated the frame and BC was very lucky to be tied going into the locker room. I mean, you don't see teams come into Kelly Rink and outshoot the Eagles by eleven shots through a period (shots were 13-2 in first stanza). If they play like that versus Wisconsin next weekend, it won't be pretty.

Thankfully, the tide turned and BC's big guns started to show up. Johnny G, Kevin Hayes, and Billy Arnold were much better than they were Thursday night. They got a ton of scoring chances as they combined for seven shots on goal. Another big reason why they were able to keep up with RPI early on ? The power play. It finally started clicking. Whether it was Kevin Hayes' tap in off a beautiful pass from Johnny, just two minutes into the game or Hayes returning the favor early in the second, BC's top unit looked superb in their only two appearances. After RPI's Jimmy DeVitto made it a one goal game midway through the second frame, two of BC's biggest newcomers, Austin Cangelosi and Ryan Fitzgerald, hooked up on a nice give and go towards the end of the period to put BC back up by two. I thought Cangelosi looked a lot quicker today than he did on Thursday. It is going to take him some time to adjust to Kevin Hayes' style of play but once he figures it out, it will be deadly combination. I thought Fitzgerald and Hayes both played spectacular once again and were two of the better players on the ice for BC.

After Billy Arnold scored a beauty of a goal to make it a three goal game just seconds into the third, I thought BC did a good job of keeping the pressure on RPI and forcing turnovers that resulted in a couple of insurance goals. A real solid final forty minutes from the Eagles tonight.

Obviosuly, I'm pleased with the win and how the team played but there are a few problems. First of all, I have no idea what the heck the staff is going to do with this goalie situation. I think Demko played well enough to play Friday night but they can't just give up on Billett because he lost one game @ Michigan. If I had to take a guess, I think we will see Demko next weekend but we will certainly see both of them vsMinnesota in two weeks.

Another thing I'm worried about is the quality of guys that are sitting out. Teddy Doherty didn't miss one game last season and actually played a pretty vital role on a team that made the NCAA's. Tonight he didn't even dress. Coach York was extremely impressed with Scotty Savage's play so I wouldn't be shocked if the same six defensemen dress next weekend. Also, Evan Richardson, who played on the second line in the exhibition game, did not dress, in favor of Destry Straight. When you have guys like Doherty and Richardson sitting in the bleachers, you know you've got a pretty good club.

Positives-

1. Penalty kill was sensational. Give credit to Coach Ayers and the PK unit...they looked much better tonight.

2. Power play came through. I liked the way they moved it today.

3. Stars shined. Johnny G, Hayes, Arnold, Cangelosi, and Fitzgerald all played great games.

Problems

1. The penalties have to stop. It's becoming a trend and if it continues, it's going to be tough to win trophies.

Player(s) of the game- Johnny G and Kevin Hayes

Next Up- Wisconsin on Friday night.

New Lines For RPI

Here is todays lineup.

 

Johnny G- Arnold- Gilmour

 

Fitzgerald-Hayes- Cangelosi

 

Smith- Brown- Calnan

 

Straight-Sit-Silk

 

 

Macleod- Linell

 

Savage-Santini

 

McCoshen-Matheson

 

Demko

Lots of changes.

Previewing the RPI Engineers

This afternoon, the Eagles will play their home opener versus the preseason favorite in the ECAC, the RPI Engineers. The big news concerning this afternoon's game is that freshman phenom Thatcher Demko will make his first colligate start. A lot of people have asked what I think the staff will do with the goalie situation. Let's say Demko plays real well today and gets the win, I believe he should start next weekend versus the nations top team, Wisconsin Badgers. If Demko struggles today, then it should be Billett. Either way, both guys will get a lot of opportunities to play in the coming weeks assuming they continue to play at a high level.

This will be the 38th meeting between RPI and Boston College with the Eagles holding a 19-14-1 lead in the series, including a 9-1 mark versus Renssealer @ Conte Forum. RPI has also played just one game this season, defeating Scared Heart last night 6-0, a day after Sacred Heart pulled off one of the biggest upsets in college hockey history, beating #1 Lowell @ Tsongas Center. Although they may not be as notable as a Michigan or a Wisconsin, this RPI is real good and in my opinion, a definite top team in the nation. The Engineers return twelve forwards from last seasons club and rank among the most experienced team in college hockey. Saturday night saw the Engineers got two goals from junior Ryan Haggerty and a thirteen save shutout for star goalie Jason Kasdorf. This will be the first meeting between RPI and Boston College since October 11th, 2007, a 4-1 victory for the good guys.

The bottom line is this club can't get off to an 0-2 start, especially with the Badgers and Gophers looming. I look for BC to be sharper on the penalty kill and in their own end because those were clearly the two biggest issues versus Michigan. The best way to solve the bad penalty killing problem is to not take penalties at all. The less time spent in the box, the better the chance BC has of winning this game. I'm sure the staff will make one or two changes in the lineup but probably nothing too dramatic. Each line had some scoring chances on Thursday night and if they can start cashing in on those opportunities, then BC has a great chance of winning this game today.

Keys for the Eagles-

1. Stay out of the box. If this becomes a trend this season, BC is in big trouble. No dumb penalties today.

2. Try and get some of the early momentum. I bet there will be a pretty decent crowd there today. If BC can score one or two goals early, it will get everybody energized.

3. Don' leave Demko out to dry. Like I said yesterday, Michigan might have had fifteen odd man rushes on Thursday. You can't expect your goalie to continue to bail you out on plays like that. BC needs to prevent those today.


Scouting RPI-

Rank- 15th in nation (1-0-0)

Leading returning scorer- Matt Neal (8-22-30 line a season ago)

Other top players- Jacob Laliberte, Ryan Haggerty


Go Eagles !

Eagles Fall To Wolverines

First of all, sorry for the lateness of the post. I just haven't had the time to sit down and write a full recap of the game. Obviously, it stings to start off the season out there and come home with a loss but that's an extremely underrated Michigan club with a power play that is as good as any in the country. Historically, Red Berenson teams have had some of the best power plays in college hockey and they proved it on Thursday night. They made our penalty kill look silly. Both of their goals on the man advantage were two passes and then a quick one timer in the slot. Why was the guy in the slot not surrouned by at least one maroon jersey ? Both times, Moffat (the goal scorer on both occasions) was wide open and there was nothing Billett do about it. BC was just way too aggressive at times, I mean Michigan must have had fifteen odd man rushes and if it wasn't for Billett's outstanding game, it could have been a lot worse. Dumb penalties + bad execution on the penalty kill + an amazing game from Racine = a game in which BC could have won even though they didn't have their best stuff.

On the offensive side of things, I thought the Wolverines did a good job of "containing"  Johnny G. He had some solid chances but he wasn't a factor each and every shift like he usually is. Credit UM's young but talented defensive group. I was impressed with their play. I thought Kevin Hayes was probably BC's best forward as he had a bunch of chances to put the puck in the net but was robbed each time. Guys like Cangelosi and Calnan need to be better in order for the Eagles to have three lines that can consistently generate chances in the offensive end. As the game grew on, I thought the third line was better but they have got to find a way to put the puck in the net when possible. There were two or three "grade A +" chances for them but they missed they net completely both times.

Defensively, I was disappointed by a couple of things. First of all, the penalties were killer. Macleod and Doherty each picked up bad penalties for contact to the head and interference when neither action was needed. If BC gives RPI five power plays tomorrow afternoon, they're going to get blown out of the water. You can't give good teams opportunities to score on the man advantage. It killed the Eagles last season and if they keep this up, it will hurt them again. It's the first game so of course there are going to be a lot of mistakes, especially when you have seven freshmen in the lineup. I'd like to see BC cut down on those mistakes and start capitalizing on RPI's errors tomorrow.

All in all, tough way to start but the young guys probably gained a lot of valuable experience that will hopefully lead to better performances as the year goes on. I thought a couple of guys like McCoshen and Fitzgerald played really solid games. If more guys can continue to chip in and help out, there will be a lot of W's for this club.


Problems-

1. Penalty kill. It needs some serious work.

2. Need to start burying chances. The Eagles had a lot of chances to tie it up in the second period. They have to find ways to put the puck in the net.

3. The team, as a whole, needs to limit their mistakes. Michigan had a lot of solid chances thanks to BC errors in the neutral and defensive zones.


Notes-

1. Demko is starting tomorrow.

2. Look for lineup changes.


Go Eagles

Previewing the University of Michigan Wolverines

 

 

 

It was just about six months ago when I walked out of the Dunkin Donuts in Providence feeling defeated and embarrassed. I remember wanting to crumble up my lineup chart and toss it at the nearest Union fan.  It's been a long, eventful, offseason for the Boston College hockey program since then with lots of changes made in order to do one thing- Let last March never happen again. Tomorrow is just game one but it's as big a first game as you could ever imagine.

I probably said this in last year's opening preview but I have to be honest, I've never been more optimistic about a Boston College Hockey team than I am about this one. There is talent everywhere, defense, forwards, and in between the pipes. Tomorrow night is a chance for the guys to show the college hockey world that they're not just the most talented team in the country, but they are the best. This isn't a Michigan team loaded with NHL talent like former years, but it's a Michigan team that has bitter feelings about missing the NCAA's for the first time in 22 years last season. They're going to come out hungry in front of their always rowdy home fans, determined to send a message that Michigan hockey is still amongst the country's best.

As for the game itself, it's real simple for the Eagles. If they can get over their nerves early on, then  they should win this game. Don't take any stupid penalties that will get the home crowd into it, do whatever you can to score first, and hope that Billett can make some early, confidence boosting saves in the first few minutes. It's not like Brian has never won a big game in his life, I mean he won games @ Yale and @ Boston University. That's big time. Unlike last season, BC will have a deep defensive group that can help support it's goaltender. The staff has created three solid parings that each have different strengths and weaknesses. Linell-Macleod are a solid defensive duo that will most likely be put out against Michigan's second line. Matheson-McCoshen are arguably the most talented tandem in the country so they will be going against the Wolverines' first line. Look for Doherty-Santini to also get some substantial playing time.

Michigan's biggest question marks are their defense and goaltending. Of the six defensemen that started for them on Sunday vs Waterloo, three are freshmen, two are seniors, and one is a junior. They're young and inexperienced.  Hopefully BC is super aggressive tomorrow night. If they are, they will force turnovers, odd man rushes, and will compel the Wolverines into taking penalties, resulting in numerous scoring chances. When pucks are below the goal line, the Eagles have to use their speed to attack it, not just lay back and let them break the puck out. I watched some video of UM's game this weekend and the biggest thing that stuck out to me was their inability to create clean breakouts. Force these young defensemen to make tight passes in their own zone.

In goal for Red Berenson's crew will be Steve Racine who recorded a 2.65 GAA and a 5-4-3 record a season ago. It took Michigan a long time, almost three months, to decide on who would be playing goalie on a nightly basis which goes to show just how much confidence they have in this guy. A young D corps + an average goaltender should = lots of scoring chances/goals for the Eagles.

In terms of BC's lineup, there are two things I'm looking at. First, who will play right wing with Ryan Fitzgerald and Bill Arnold. On Sunday, the staff had Evan Richardson out there and I thought he looked pretty good. Yesterday in practice, they had Adam Gilmour out there with that line. Personally, I like Richardson in the spot because of his speed but having Gilmour fill the spot doesn't really make a huge difference as he is a solid two way player. The other question I have is who will be on the fourth line. Unlike last year, the staff has a lot of choices on what they can do. I think it will probably be Sit- Gilmour- Silk but it may be Richardson-Sit- Silk. Either way, it's a pretty good fourth line.

 

 

All in all, tomorrow night is going to be a learning experience for this team. It will be a great experience for the young guys but let's be honest, they're not there for the thrill of playing @ Michigan. They're there to win the game. It may be the ugliest sixty minutes of hockey we see all year but if they get the job done, all will be well in Eagle Hockey land.

 

 

Players to Watch-

 

Philip De Giuseppe- 9 goals, 19 assist a season ago. Leading returning scorer that is playing (Guptill is out)

 

Boo Nieves- 8 goals, 21 assist last season, has the most points of any returning Wolverine (besides Guptill)

 

Michael Downing- The highly touted freshman defenseman is solid, physical, puck moving type that will make life tough on BC's top line tomorrow night.

 

 

Series Notes-

 

Boston College is 6-11-0 all time versus Michigan. The Eagles are 0-4 all time @ Yost Arena

 

Coach York is 4-4 versus Michigan while @ Boston College

 

UM won the last meeting in 2011 at the Great Lakes Invitational thanks to 3,000 BC penalties (it felt like it)

 

 

Projected Lineup

 

Johnny G- Kevin Hayes- Austin Cangelosi

 

Ryan Fitzgerald- Billy Arnold- Evan Richardson

 

Quinn Smith- Pat Brown- Chris Calnan

 

Mike Sit- Adam Gilmour- Brendan Silk

 

 

Mike Matheson- Ian McCoshen

 

Isaac Macleod- Danny Linell

 

Teddy Doherty- Steve Santini

 

Brian Billett

 

 

GO EAGLES !!!

 



Breaking- Brian Billett Named Starting Goalie

Sources have indicated to the BC Hockey Blog that Brian Billett has been named starting goalie for Thursday's game versus Michigan. Look, Brian Billett has won a couple real big games for this club over the course of the past two years and I look forward to seeing him succeeded in this new role. It's well deserved for a great kid that has been patiently waiting his turn.

Weekly Update

Well, we've got a lot to cover today. Let's get going.

First off, the staff has cut defenseman Colin Sullivan. Many are shocked by this move but count me as one of those who is not. After Sully's season a year ago, this seemed inevitable and the fact that they gave him just five or six shift on Sunday afternoon didn't seem to bode well for his chances of making the team. Sullivan will now try and continue his career in juniors. Good luck to Colin as he moves on from Boston College. I hope to see him playing college hockey very soon, wherever it may be.


Here is the weekly injury report-

Michael Sit- Will play Thursday night vs Michigan

Destry Straight- Highly doubtful for Thursday's game with an undisclosed injury.

Everyone is making the trip to Ann Arbor.


The goalie decision may be announced tomorrow afternoon. I've got nothing for you tonight.


Red Berenson confirmed that Alex Guptill is still suspended for the BC game on Thursday.


Here are the lines they ran today. Little different than Sunday.

Johnny G- Hayes- Cangelosi

Fitzgerald- Arnold- Gilmour

Smith- Brown- Calnan

Richardson- Sit- Silk


Doherty- Santini

Matheson- McCoshen

Macleod- Linell


I'm still trying to figure out a way to watch the game Thursday night. If I find out, I will certainly post it somewhere on the blog.

Go Eagles.

Observations From Sunday's Victory

The Boston College Eagles opened the 2013/14 campaign with a solid 8-2 exhibition win over the St Francis Xavier University X-Men on Sunday afternoon at Kelly Rink. I'm not going to really recap the game because the last forty minutes was just goal after goal. Even in the first twenty minutes, after which BC was down a pair of goals, I thought they played real well. There were two goals going into this game. 1. Win and 2. Don't lose anyone. Both were accomplished although Isaac Macleod and Steven Santini were both tossed late in the third period, something that I am sure upsets the staff. Anyways, the big thing I took out of this game was the amount of options BC has throughout it's lineup. They can mix and match as much as they want. I thought all four lines looked really good, especially the fourth line of Cam Spiro- Adam Gilmour- Brendan Silk. Spiro was one of those guys that needed to have a big game and he certainly did. I'm not going to say he  "clinched" a spot in the lineup for Thursday night but I would be highly disappointed if he is sitting in the crowd versus the Wolverines. He deserves to be playing. The small but ultra fast guys like Cangelosi and Richardson were as good as advertised as I think the first line of Johnny G- Hayes- Cangelosi has some serious potential. Here are the top five things I noticed.

1. Demko looked fine. He stopped everything he faced but two X-Men shots rang off the post. Also, he gave up two pretty bad rebounds that could have been capitalized on. At the end of the however, all that matters is he doesn't let up any goals and he accomplished that today. I fully expect him to be in net on Thursday.

2. Each and every freshmen had some bright spots. Of the ten that got a chance to play, I was most impressed with Richardson, Cangelosi, and Calnan. All three of them compliment their linemates real well. I've always thought that Calnan was the "dark horse" of this class even though he is an NHL draft pick. If he continues to play like he did this afternoon, he will have a productive season.

3. The lineup situation this season could not be any more different from last seasons. The staff can pretty much do whatever they want. Every I look on the lineup card, I see guys that can score goals and help the team in some sort of way. We didn't have that last season versus Union and it ended up being the difference. Since Spiro played so well, I'm not sure Destry Straight is a shoe-in for Thursday's game because I believe that both Spiro and Quinn Smith have earned the right to play.

4. All the goals are great but the power play looked bad. They just couldn't get anything going. Too many bad/stupid passes through the middle of the zone that were picked off and iced. I'd like to see them work it low to high, have Matheson and McCoshen rip one-timers and have the three others surround the net looking for a rebound. It might not be flashy but it could get the job done. They tried to get cute with the puck.

5. Top three performers- 1. Kevin Hayes 2. Cam Spiro 3. Evan Richardson

New Projected Lineup

Johnny G- Hayes- Cangelosi

Fitzgerald- Arnold- Richardson

Smith- Brown- Calnan (I really hope they keep these guys together)

Spiro-Gilmour-Silk

Linell- Macleod

Matheson-McCoshen

Doherty-Santini

Note- Michigan lost to Waterloo today, 2-1.


Go Eagles !

What To Look For Sunday Afternoon

Well, in exactly four hours, Boston College Hockey will be back at Conte Forum to open the highly anticipated 2013-2014 hockey season. I can't remember where I have been so optimistic about an Eagle club, mainly because all of the talent on this roster. If you ask me, we've got three of the top five forwards in Hockey East, the best freshmen class in the history of the Coach York era, the best defenseman in the country, and a team that is twice as deep as last years squad that managed to make an NCAA tournament and win a Beanpot. So yea, I'm absolutely pumped for this to begin.

If your one of those people that think exhibition games don't matter, than I don't know what to tell you. There are three or four guys on this team that need to play extremely well tomorrow and if it matters to them, it should matter to us, the fans. If they have a scoreboard, it matters. This St Francis team is a big, physical team so I think it will be a good eye-opener for some of the smaller freshmen on the team like Fitzgerald, Cangelosi, and Richardson. Here are the top things I'm looking for tomorrow.

1. How will Demko look ? This is his first game in a BC uniform so I assume there will be a good amount of nerves running thorough his system tomorrow night. He won't play the whole game but if he impresses during the time that he is out there, then the job should be his.

2. How will Danny Linell fare on the blue line ? Everyone wants to talk about Demko and all the questions around having a freshman goalie. I'm more concerned with the play of the 6th defenseman, whoever it is. Put it this way, Danny Linell is going to be in the lineup Thursday night but I think the staff will feel a lot better about the move if he impresses tomorrow afternoon.

3. Will Destry Straight and Brendan Silk look faster ? These are the two biggest question marks up front. Destry has had an up and down two years at the Heights while Silk was solid at times last season but looked slow and out of it at others. I'd be surprised if Straight plays a lot (or if he does at all) because he has been held out of practice this past week due to an injury. I've been impressed with Silk thus far but he needs to play well tomorrow in order to cement a spot in the lineup. Same goes for Michael Sit.

4. What will the power play units be ? They've been working on it a lot in practice and to me, both units have looked out of synch (yea I know, the season hasn't even started and  I'm already on my typical power play rant). Here is what we should be seeing tomorrow.

Unit One- Johnny G, Arnold, Hayes, McCoshen, and Matheson

Unit Two- Fitzgerald, Cangelosi, Straight/Richardson, Doherty, and Linell.

5. Will the staff play everyone and if they do, what will the top four lines be ?

Here is the projected lineup

Johnny G- Hayes- Cangelosi

Fitzgerald- Arnold- Richardson

Smith- Brown- Calnan

Straight- Gilmour/Sit- Silk

McCoshen- Matheson

Macleod- Linell

Doherty- Santini

Demko
Billett
Barone (Expecting all three to get time)

Updates

Just a few notes to pass along. I was fortunate enough to talk with Coach Brown and Coach Ayers after practice today. Here is some of what they said and more.

Injury report- Straight out, Sit barley staking in red medical jersey, Smith back in.

Lines (Straight was out so not sure if these are solid)

Johnny G- Hayes- Cangelosi

Fitzgerald- Arnold- Richardson

Smith- Brown- Calnan

McMullen- Gilmour- Silk


McCoshen- Matheson

Santini- Doherty

Macleod- Linell


I asked the coaches what they thought of the team so far, specifically the freshmen. "It's hard to tell with these short practices but they have adjusted to the speed of the college game, at least at practice, really well. It can be really difficult to come in here and get used to the speed, they have done a good job".


On what they are looking for Sunday vs St Francis Xavier- "Nothing to particular, want to see us play well".

Have they named a starting goalie for Thursday yet ? "No decision yet. Thatcher has to earn it. there will be a lot of scouts in Michigan watching him but in order for him to play on Thursday he has to earn the job first. All three goalies look real good. It will be a hard decision".


That's all I got.

Go Eagles.

Reports- Guptill Out For BC Game

It's pretty hard to believe we are just seven days away from our first preview of the 2013/14 season. As always, I will be including key players to watch on the opposing club. Shockingly, possibly the best forward returning this season for Michigan will not be skating next Thursday when the Eagles come to town. Jr forward Alex Guptill has been suspended by head coach Red Berenson for off ice issues occurring this past summer. Guptill has had a history of off and on ice problems since he arrived at Yost Arena. Guptill is Michigan's leading returning scorer as he had recorded thirty six points a season ago.

Go Eagles.